Hello Mr. Magazine Issue 9 is out now. So many of the most powerful cultural forms are the product of turmoil, heartbreak, or pain. In one of our three cover stories, artist Kehinde Wiley teaches us not to fear anxiety: “Roll it around in your hand, and try it on for size… that’s your guiding light.” Finding the courage to discover this light allows us to guide others. Brian Anderson, the professional skateboarder who came out publicly last year, has reinvented himself by getting intimate with that fear. John Early reminds us how when things get really bad, like current-political-climate-bad, sometimes the best thing to do is laugh.
We know all too well that artists are held by this cultural standard because we are counted on, if not required, to be emotional, to be vulnerable, to be empathetic. As Jenna Wortham, co-host of The New York Times podcast Still Processing says in this issue, the work of a culture-convenor is to pursue answers and take emotional leaps to pave a way forward for all. And finally, Huang Jiaqi, boyfriend of the late photographer Ren Hang, opens up in his first interview about their relationship, Ren’s turmoil, and the legacy of his work.
Hello Mr. magazine is a publication about men who date men. it’s the overdue response to the unending clichés that surround current gay lifestyle publications. Rather than pushing agendas or perfecting appearances, it’s about relevant material for a misrepresented generation with an evolved range of interests. a chronicle of everyday life, and the narratives which define it. Hello Mr., originally funded on Kickstarter.com, is published twice a year, each issue will contain written and visual contributions from discerning individuals around the globe. An inclusive and informal approach that makes hello mr. something you can’t help wanting to get to know. and given we uphold the following simple attributes, we hope hello mr. is something you can’t help knowing you’re already a part of.
